Meryl Streep's Nephew Arrested On Assault Charges After Road Rage Incident, Accused Of Racial Slurs
Yikes.
lev radin / Shutterstock Meryl Streep’s nephew made headlines on August 28 after it was reported that he was charged in an alleged road rage incident that happened four days earlier, in which the victim suffered massive head trauma and required immediate surgery.
While everyone and their mother knows who Meryl Streep is, we’re curious to know more about Meryl Streep’s nephew and the alleged crime of assaulting David Peralta in a road-rage incident.
Who is Meryl Streep’s nephew, Charles Harrison Streep?
Meryl Streep’s nephew is Charles Harrison Streep, but according to his LinkedIn profile, he prefers to go by Charlie. He is 31 years old and currently resides in New York City.
Before moving to New York, Charlie resided in Old Greenwich, Connecticut and before that, New Canaan, Connecticut.
He's the son of Meryl Streep’s younger brother, Dana Streep, who is also an actor. He has three siblings: Jonathan Streep, Carol Ann Streep, and David Kyle Streep.
What did Meryl Streep’s nephew get arrested for?
Charles Harrison Streep was arrested on Thursday, August 27, on assault charges that left an 18-year-old victim with serious head trauma that required emergency surgery to relieve the pressure in his brain.
The victim, David Peralta, is a student at John Jay College and resident of East Hampton. He's an American-born Ecuadorian currently working as a server and kitchen staff at DOPO La Spiaggia Hamptons.
Peralta was going to school to become a detective, but now he's facing severe brain trauma and learning difficulties caused by the alleged assault.
Peralta's attorney, Edmond Chakmakian, said, "He was looking forward to starting his sophomore year. Instead, he's starting years of physical therapy, cognitive therapy. He's got medical bills hanging over his head in excess of $80,000."
East Hampton Village police reported that Streep assaulted and verbally berated the teenager with racial slurs behind a Chase Bank on the morning of August 24.
Lieutenant Gregory Brown said, “the incident began when the victim, driving a Ford sedan, pulled off of Main Street into the Circle, which leads to the bank parking lot. The defendant, who had been driving an Audi convertible, was pulling out of the Circle onto Main Street.”
Streep allegedly ran the stop sign, and Chakmakian said, "The privileged individual that he is, he blew the stop sign like it wasn't there, came narrowly close to my client's car. He yells at my client and David said, 'Hey, you had the stop sign. You're in the wrong.'"
Streep was reported to be very irritated and he followed Peralta, who was driving his girlfriend at the time to the bank, into the parking lot, and yanked the driver's door open to Peralta's car. Streep allegedly said many racial slurs to Peralta and body-slammed him into the ground, causing a major head injury.
Chakmakian said, "After he was unconscious, he lifted up his limp body and lammed it onto the ground. It was an absolute obscene display of anger and violence."
Shortly after, Streep allegedly assaulted the teen, and although there were multiple calls reporting the “fight,” by the time police got there, Streep had fled the scene.
Initially, the victim refused medical attentionl however, a few hours after arriving home, he asked for medical attention and was taken to the hospital. From there, he was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital for emergency surgery for his head trauma.
He suffered a brain bleed and had to have part of his skullcap removed to alleviate the pressure in his brain. Chakmakian revealed, "If he was there 20 minutes later, he would not have made it or he would've been left in a vegetative state."
After a three-day investigation, Charles Harrison Streep was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and second-degree strangulation, which are both felonies.
The lawsuit was filed and said, "The defendant's conduct was intentional, malicious, and racially motivated, as evidenced by the defendant spewing racial slurs during the attack." Peralta's attorney is currently petitioning the Suffolk County district attorney to upgrade Streep's charges to a hate crime.
What does Meryl Streep’s nephew do for a living?
Charlie Streep has worked in business management since 2013.
He started his career working for a company called ZocDoc, and just over a year later, he got a job as Senior Business Developer Manager at PitchBook Data, a company that has offices in Seattle, San Francisco, New York, London, and Mumbai, India.
He's currently a pre-MBA associate at VU Venture Partners, and has been there since May 2020.
Where did Meryl Streep’s nephew go to school?
Charles Harrison Streep graduated from New Canaan High School in 2007 and earned his Bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University, a liberal arts college located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
He attended Bucknell University from 2008-2012, where he played lacrosse, and then transferred over to the University of Virginia as a graduate student for the 2012-2013 academic year.
While at the University of Virginia, Charlie Streep played on the lacrosse team, appearing in all 15 games and racking up seven goals and one assist during the 2012-2013 season.
Olivia Jakiel is an editor and writer who covers celebrity and entertainment news. Follow her on Instagram and keep up with her zingers on Twitter.
Editor's Note: This article was originally posted in August 2020 and was updated with the latest information.